Our Youth Ambassadors are a dynamic team of volunteers aged 16- 24 years old working together to share their voice and the voice of the peers to help tackle some of the employment barriers young people face in the UK. Here Rabyia tells us about her journey since joining us.
You can also read more Youth Ambassador stories, and volunteer as a Youth Ambassador if you live in the UK and you’re aged 16-24.
Tell us a bit about you…
I am a rigorously motivated individual, dedicated and driven to achieve both personal and educational goals. I have been employed since the age of 16 and continuously have worked hard to deliver to the best of my abilities… determination has been the secret.
Determination has enabled me to exceed myself by securing placements in parliament, with the BBC, political parties and one of the UK’s biggest national housing charities. It has enabled me to interact with politicians, CEOs, service users, people from all walks of life.
What led you to volunteer as a Youth Ambassador?
As well as being employed I have been volunteering for great causes for many years. I think young people are a powerful asset in our society, and volunteering is ultimately a path for our youth to give back to their communities.
Employment is fundamental, and it comes with great challenges. These are challenges I want young people out there to overcome. As a politics university student I recognise and believe politics is inextricably linked to each and everyone of us, so why should we not interact with our politicians?
This is why I have joined Youth Employment UK – because I am strongly motivated to help encourage more young people in securing a strong voice in politics, and defeat the challenges young people face in regards to employment.
Want To Know More About Being A Youth Ambassador?
Youth Ambassadors sign up to 10 – 15 hours of volunteering a month. In exchange we support them with opportunities to really make a difference, as well as ongoing training and support.
Volunteering focuses on 3 key areas of our work to support young people in their journey towards employment:
- Helping young people build their Young Professional skills and confidence through attending panels, events and conferences to help inform policy, as well as through optional creative work like blogging and vlogging
- Empowering young people to share their experiences, barriers and challenges to employment
- Educating and supporting organisations to create more youth friendly opportunities for all young people
